Pilots fake licence fiasco: FIA summons CAA director licencing

KARACHI: Federal Investigation Agency (FIA) has summoned Director Licensing Civil Aviation Authority (CAA) Naeem Iqbal in pilots fake license scandal, ARY News reported on Friday citing sources.

FIA has asked Naeem Iqbal to appear before its office along with complete data of licences.

In latest development related to fake licences reported today, a pilot and five officers of Civil Aviation Authority (CAA) have been arrested by Federal Investigation Agency (FIA) besides registration of three cases was also filed in fake pilots’ licence scandal.

The Federal Investigation Agency (FIA) corporate crime circle completed its investigation into the issuance of fake licences to pilots. Overall six arrests have been made including a pilot and five officers of the Civil Aviation Authority (CAA) by the agency’s corporate crime circle.

The accused were allegedly involved in the issuance of Commercial Pilot Licence (CPL) and Airline Transport Pilot Licence (ATPL) by CAA on the basis of fake pilot licence exams.

Read: CAA takes steps to remove ICAO’s concerns over pilots licencing

The arrested persons include Khalid Mahmood, Acting Additional Director Licencing CAA, Faisal Manzoor Anwar, Senior Joint Director Licencing Branch CAA, Asiful Haq, Senior Joint Director Licencing Branch CAA, Muhammad Mahmood Hussain, Additional Director Licencing CAA, Abdul Raees, Senior Superintendent Human Resources (HR) Licencing Branch CAA and pilot Muhammad Saqlain, according to a statement issued by FIA Sindh Director Rauf Shaikh.

It emerged that 102 out of 141 pilots suspected of obtaining dubious licences are belonging to the national carrier, Pakistan International Airlines (PIA). During the initial departmental action, 28 licences had been terminated and seven more were suspended by the aviation authority.